With Peace Talks Off, Netanyahu Looks at Unilateral Moves

JERUSALEM — After halting peace talks with the Palestinians last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has asked his cabinet to bring forward alternative approaches to the intractable conflict, which are likely to include annexing parts of the West Bank or withdrawing from some settlements and shoring up others.

Such unilateral steps have been gaining traction recently among some prominent Israelis close to Mr. Netanyahu, though they have been vigorously opposed by Washington and the Palestinian leadership. They contradict a widely held view that a central element of the formula for a lasting peace is that borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state must be negotiated.

Advocates of unilateral plans say that Mr. Netanyahu had long refused to discuss the go-it-alone option, even privately, and he was not specific when he told ministers on Sunday that he would consider all options in the coming weeks, according to an official who was in the cabinet room.